Chapter 4

I hunted only animals for the next few weeks. I surprised one day when I looked in the mirror and noticed my eyes weren't a scary dark red anymore but a reddish-orange color. I was so happy, I finally starting to look like a Cullen.

I was getting really close to the family. Carlisle and Esme were like the caring parents I've never had. Emmett was the taunting brother, he often challenged me to street races but I declined, there's no way my old classic will beat his brand new jeep. Jasper asked me all the time what it was like to be in a newborn army. I answered unenthusiastically, I was trying to push those memories away not remember them. Edward wasn't around very much, he was always with Bella but when he was home he helped me with the piano. Alice and I had arguments all the time, most of the time about clothes and money but I guess that's how sisters are supposed to act. Rosalie and I were officially best friends. We spent all day with each other, her nights were reserved for alone time with Emmett, gag.

Most of the time we just sat in the living room and chatted about anything and everything, other times we went hunting together, or just went for a walk through the woods. But whatever we did we had a ton of fun and we bonded tremendously.

One day I was laying on my bed staring at the ceiling when Rose came in with a foot tub and other pedicure stuff in tow.

I laughed, "Rose, what are you doing?"

She shrugged, "I felt bad for you because you can't be around humans so you can't go to a salon and get your nails done, so I decided I would do it for you."

It was such a small gesture, but I knew it was unlike Rose to be this nice. I jumped up and gave her a hug. "Thanks Rose, you're awesome."

She smiled, "I know. Now sit down so we can get started."

I hurriedly walked over to my desk chair and sat in it, turning in it so Rose would have room to put the stuff down in front of me.

She walked over gracefully in front of me and put the pedicure and manicure things down.

"I have to go fill up this foot tub, I'll be back in a sec." she said and picked up the tub and walked into the bathroom. I heard her turn on the water, wait for it to get hot, and then fill up the tub. The water turned off and she walked back into the room and put my feet in the tub and plugged it in so that it vibrated and massaged my feet.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair. As she was sorting through all the stuff she had brought up here I sneakily raised my foot quickly, causing some water to splash on her.

"Bree!" she said while laughing. Then she unscrewed a bottle of pink nail polish. She took the brush and rubbed it all over my foot.

"Ugh Rose, my whole foot is pink now!" I giggled.

"Haha," she laughed sarcastically.

I narrowed my eyes, "Fine I'll let that slide; it was payback. But remember this means war."

She nodded, "We'll see about that. Here give me your foot so I can get that polish off it."

I let her have my foot and she used nail polish remover to get it off. The rest of the afternoon was spent pampering me. When Rose was finished with me I had the most exquisite designs on my nails.

"Thanks Rose their very pretty."

"You're welcome. Now help me clean this junk up, I'm not getting stuck with the mess."

I rolled my eyes and helped her put all the stuff away in her bathroom downstairs.

Gradually I became better and better with my thirst. After a month and a half of living with the Cullen's I announced, "I think I'm ready to get near a human."

Everyone looked at me wide eyed. Carlisle cleared his throat after a few dreadfully silent seconds, "Are you sure Bree? You haven't been on the vegetarian diet very long and you're not even a year old yet. It would be very easy for you to slip up."

"I know I'm really young and I know it's probably hard for you to trust me with this big decision but I promise I wouldn't be saying all of this if I wasn't really ready, I want to try. Please let me."

Carlisle sighed, "You are showing good signs and I guess you could try but you have to go hunting first so that your thirst isn't making it harder for you."

I nodded, "Of course, and thank you for believing in me."

"It's no problem Bree, we're family. We're supposed to believe in you, it's our job."

I looked around at everyone, smiling. "So who wants to go hunting?"

Rosalie stood up along with Emmett. "We'll go with you Bree," she said kindly.

"Ok sure, let's go." We walked out the door and went hunting in the backyard.

When we got back I heard a heartbeat. I looked at Rose, "Is there a human inside?"

She smelled for the human, then scrunched her nose, "No it's just a dog?"

I cracked up laughing, "Their testing me on a dog first?"

"No, not exactly; remember how I told you about those werewolves that live near us? Well Bella is kind of friends with one so the rest of the family is close to him too. His name's Jacob. I guess they decided to try you on him first since he doesn't smell as appealing before exposing you to actual humans.

I nodded, "That's a good plan."

She rolled her eyes, "Yea just be good so we can get rid of this mutt quickly."

"Don't worry Rose, I will. I have a good feeling about this."

"Ok. Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," I responded and slowly walked into the house and to the living room where the heartbeat was coming from.

He was standing in there; he was very tall and muscular. His tan skin looked so strange compared to all the vampires I've been around lately. He had kind brown eyes and longish black hair. He was good looking but not exceptionally so, like a vampire.

He smiled at me, "Hello Bree."

I took a deep breath, Rose was right about werewolves, they kind of smelled. "Hi Jacob, thanks for helping me out, and nice to meet you." I stuck my hand out to shake his. His huge warm hand enveloped my small delicate looking one.

I smelled the air again and felt fine; I mean I didn't feel like biting him or anything.

Jasper smiled, "Her mood seems really good. I think she passed this test." He said, assuring everyone.

Carlisle smiled and winked at me, "Congrats Bree, Jacob thank you for your help."

"Any time Carlisle, it was no problem. I'll see you vamps later, I'm scheduled for patrol soon."

"Bye," some of us said while some of us refused to even look at him.

"Ok well I guess we can try Bella next," Carlisle suggested.

"Are you sure? I mean her blood is very potent." Rose asked.

Alice smiled, "Don't worry, I've already seen it, everything goes fine."

I grinned at Alice, "Thanks."

"Oh and I already called Edward. He's bringing Bella over. She's very excited about meeting you."

"Well good." I hope she doesn't think I'm a monster because of the last time I saw her.

Rose saw how nervous I looked, "Bree, calm down. If you're stressed that's just going to make things worse."

I nodded my head and took a deep, calming breath. I sat down on the big couch in the living room and waited for Bella to arrive. Emmett sat down beside me and Jasper sat on the other side. I guess they were surrounding me with the two biggest members of the family in case of an emergency. After a few minutes of waiting I heard them pull up the driveway and walk in the door. I held my breath so I wouldn't smell her and I tried to look very calm. I looked at Jasper, he looked like he was deep in thought, he was probably concentrating completely on my mood to make sure it doesn't become hostile. Alice was most likely watching the future and Edward was reading my thoughts. They were all ready to spring at me at a millisecond's notice.

Bella slowly, even for a human, walked into the room. She smiled meekly and met everyone's eyes before turning to look at me. "Hello Bree," She said her voice sounding shaky.

I gulped and smiled back at her, "Hi Bella, I'm glad I can finally meet you… the right way this time."

She smiled, "Yes last time I saw you, you were a bit uh… distracted."

"Yea you could say that." I gradually built up the courage to take a breath. It was a quick one but I still smelled her scent, it was very appetizing and I know it would be good just to lunge at her right now and drink her dry but I didn't feel the need to, so I didn't.

That gave me more confidence so I relaxed a little. "Guys, I just smelled her and I did fine."

Everyone smiled, especially Rose and Bella.

"Good job Bree," Rosalie said.

Bella relaxed as well and she took a seat at the couch across from me along with Edward who still looked a tad bit wary which I could understand.

"I see your eyes are starting to change to gold," Bella stated.

"Yes, thankfully I was worried they would take forever to change but it's actually happening quite quickly."

"Well that's good, I hope when I get changed mine change just as quickly."

"I'm sure they will, especially since you're going to be on a vegetarian diet from the start."

"Yea hopefully," she sighed.

I noticed the ring on Bella's left hand, "So when are you guys getting married?"

"In September, before my 19th birthday," she said squeezing Edward's hand.

"I hope I can get enough control so I can be there, because I know I wouldn't have enough control right now to be around that many people."

Alice narrowed her eyes, "You better, I'm already planning on you being one of the bridesmaids."

My eyes widened, "Really? Me a bridesmaid? Gosh, that's great. Thanks."

"Yea, yea. It's kind of a given since you're a member of the family."

I smiled, "Still, it's a very touching gesture."

Bella spoke up, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

I grinned at her, "Thanks."

Rose clapped, "Well I think this mission was a success, good job Bree."

Carlisle nodded, "I agree."

I smiled brightly, "Thanks guys."

"Don't thank us, it was all you," Edward said.

"But I wouldn't have been able to do it without everyone's encouragement."

"That's what family is for." Esme said sweetly.

"I love my family," I whispered to myself, forgetting they were vampires like me so they had super hearing.

"We love you too Bree." Everyone but Bella, who didn't have super hearing, said in unison.